Hospital Budget Expands To $73.9m

The Kingaroy Hospital construction site last week … excavation work has now been completed

Health Minister Dr Steven Miles

November 8, 2018

The State Government has committed an extra $11.9 million towards the Kingaroy Hospital redevelopment project, taking the overall cost to $73.9 million.

Health Minister Steven Miles said the extra funding would ensure the hospital was “digital-ready”, create a new on-site kitchen and enhance the central energy facility to ensure a reliable power supply.

“Now that the early works have been completed on schedule, Darling Downs Hospital Health have begun the next phase of the project which involves consultation with key stakeholders and finalisation of construction drawings,” Mr Miles said.

Darling Downs Hospital and Health Board chairman Mike Horan said the project was progressing on schedule.

“Anyone who has been to Kingaroy Hospital recently would have seen changes on the site, most notably the excavation of an area of around 2000 sq m which is where the new hospital will be built,” Mr Horan said.

“We’ve also upgraded some underground services and relocated some departments, such as the hospital’s building, engineering and maintenance service, which has moved into upgraded, newly constructed buildings at the back of the campus.

“At this point we expect to go out to tender early in the New Year and once that process is completed we anticipate a start to construction by mid-2019.”

Mr Horan said the new Kingaroy Hospital was scheduled to commence providing services in early 2021.

“Darling Downs Health understands very clearly the community’s eagerness for a new facility, which is why this phase of the project is so important,” he said.

“We are putting a lot of time into the detailed design so the new facility will be the best we can provide.

“We look to forward to a modern, state-of-the-art regional hospital to serve the people of the South Burnett.

“I’d like to thank our patients and community members for their patience, and of course the staff at Kingaroy Hospital, who will continue to provide the best possible care as we move forward with the project.”

The new Kingaroy Hospital will have 66 beds and will also have specialist areas for paediatric, obstetric, rehabilitation and mental health services.